OMG, every time I hear or read those two words combined in that order, I react just like Pavlov's dogs. My mouth starts salivating and my stomach growls.

On Topic:

I: Inga bean (or ice cream bean)

A pod grown from a tree in Central and South America that grows wild in some areas and is cultivated in others. It grows prolifically on river banks, in swamps or wherever there is a good deal of water, and produces a long bean or pod. The matter inside tastes much like vanilla ice cream.

The trees that produce inga beans grow to 60 feet in tropical areas. They have flat tops with spreading branches and a contorted gray trunk. Leaves are about 4 to 10 inches long and lance shaped, coming in four to six pairs on a leaflet.

They are dark green to bronze in color and look fern-like. Flowers appear at the tip of stems, are very fragrant and appear June to October in most regions, and in March or April in Brazil.

The pods or beans grow up to 6 feet long and are slightly twisted, flat and brown when harvested. Inside the pod are green seeds encased in a white cotton-like pulp.

Usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by pasta, rice or bread). Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, courgettes (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), poivron (bell peppers), carrot, marjoram and basil, or bay leaf and thyme, or a mix of green herbs like herbes de Provence.

There is much debate on how to make a traditional ratatouille. One method is to simply sauté all of the vegetables together. Some cooks, including Julia Child, insist on a layering approach, where the aubergine and the courgettes are sautéed separately, while the tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers are made into a sauce. The ratatouille is then layered in a casserole – aubergine, courgettes, tomato/pepper mixture – then baked in an oven.

Mincemeat pie:
A blend of figs, dates & apples in a double crusted butter pastry crust.
Back in the 19th century they used"meat" where the name "mincemeat was originated. Over time the meat was replaced with "meaty" fruits.